AryaxGendry week 2016
by Fandom-Geek17
Summary: My entries for AryaxGendry week 2016! General rating will be M but they will vary a little with each prompt! Three modern, three canon and one special AU! Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1

**Prompt: Jealousy**

 **Rating: T**

 **Universe: Modern**

 **Author's note:** ** _My first entry for aryaxgendry week! I'm going to try to stay around 1000 words for each prompt, but I'm really bad with limits, so the lengths will vary a little. Enjoy!_**

Jealousy

He looked at the blond git with suspicion in his blue eyes. The idiot was talking with Arya, which he didn't have a problem with. He wasn't the possessive type who didn't let his girlfriends speak with other guys.

No. What Gendry had a problem with was that Aegon Targaryen stood way to close, eyeing his girlfriend with a hungry look. Arya didn't seem phased by Aegon as he leaned in and spoke softly, like he was trying to seduce her, which Gendry was relieved for. He had seen Arya shake what the gods gave her to Beyoncé's _Partition_ during several of the parties they had attended together and not once had he been worried that Arya couldn't handle her own. Gendry didn't feel threatened by drunk fools at college parties.

It was these kind of parties that made him uncomfortable and wary of every guy walking past. The kind of cocktail parties Arya's family were responsible for. The ones where you had to dress up, drink fancy champagne and _mingle._ Usually Gendry just sat in a corner with a glass of whiskey that he never finished and watched as Arya was whisked away by her mom to greet one rich family after the other.

And regardless of the fact that Arya's family had accepted him long ago and that her mom always babied him almost as much as she did with Bran and Rickon, all Gendry could see think of in these situations were what Arya would have if she dumped him and moved on to one of these rich dickheads. He didn't want riches, but he was jealous of everything that these men could give her, all their prospects…

It looked as if Arya had managed to shake Aegon off her and came to sit down on the stool beside his. She looked incredibly hot, even if she would never admit it. She wore a black, tight dress with spaghetti straps and the earrings with the silver wolves he had gifted her last Christmas. Her hair fell in stylish waves around her shoulders, Sansa's work no doubt.

She took the whiskey from his hands and downed it in one swig. "Is it just me or is it very hot in here?" she asked felt her forehead for emphasize. But Gendry merely shrugged. He didn't want to show her that he was in a bad mood, but he was a terrible actor. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing" Gendry immediately answered. They had already argued about his jealousy of rich boys multiple times and he didn't need another. "I'm just tired…"

"Oh…" Arya leaned in and placed her chin on his shoulder, gazing up through her eyelashes. "Well, we could always _escape_ somewhere… If you want?" He knew that tone. And no matter how tempting it would be to speak of to a closet or unoccupied bathroom somewhere and rip that dress clean off her body, he couldn't. Not right now.

He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead to throw her off and stood up. "I need the toilet."

XXX

Gendry was acting weird.

That much Arya understood. What she didn't understand was why. She couldn't understand what he had to be grumpy about. He always kept to himself at her mother's cocktail parties but that was because he didn't go well with large crowds, especially posh ones.

It had never been a problem before. She would give him the space he needed and after the party they would either have sex or just make out depending on how tired they were, either at his place or in her room. Usually she could get him to leave his stool for one round or two around the room so he could at least say hi to Jon and Robb and muss up Rickon's hair like he always did otherwise, but not tonight. And he seemed to scowl more than usual too.

After the party and Arya had managed to persuade her parents to let her spend the night at Gendry's apartment, they left. His hand rested on her thigh like it always did when he was driving with her in the passenger seat. But it was a vice grip, almost desperate. When she tried to entwine their fingers, his grip remained vice, so hard his knuckles almost turned white.

Arya watched him undo the buttons of his dress shirt, slowly one at the time. She leaned against the door frame with her arms crossed. Why was he acting this way? He slowly let the shirt fall from his shoulders and Arya got a good look at his rippling back muscles. A pure artwork of rises and dips that entranced her every time. But she couldn't let it this time, she needed to find out what the problem was.

She pulled down the zipper of the dress and let it fall as Gendry changed from his slacks into a pair of worn pajama pants. He barely even noticed as she stood not so subtly in just her black underwear, the stupid bull merely lay down on the bed and checked his phone quickly before turning on his side. Arya sighed and changed into one of his t-shirts before climbing into bed next to him.

Her hand reached out to touch his shoulder and her fingers carefully trailed up and down his arm as she scooted closer and pressed her lips against his shoulder blade. Nothing indicated that Gendry had even noticed her.

"Gendry?" Arya whispered, leaning her chin against his shoulder again. "What's wrong?"

If Gendry had been able to shrug, Arya was sure he would have done it. "Nothing…"

Arya huffed and propped herself up on her elbow. "That's bullshit. You've been acting weird all night." Gendry sighed but refused to meet her eyes, which already counted as half a confession coming from him. "Just tell me" she whispered.

Finally, he turned to meet her eyes, putting his arm around her as he did. "It's stupid…"

"You're always stupid."

Gendry snorted. "It's just… When we're at those kind of parties your parents throw…" Arya nodded for him to continue. "And you're surrounded by all those rich people, like Aegon Targaryen. Well he- He wants you!" He spat that last part out.

Arya rolled her eyes. "Come on, Gendry!" She sat up and swung her leg across his lap to straddle him. "We've talked about this! You've got to stop being jealous of them!" She swatted him on the chest for good measure.

"I'm not jealous of _them_. I'm jealous of the fact that he could give you so much more than I can! I will never be rich like them, and I don't want to be. But they can give you _everything._ You deserve so much more than I can give you…"

Now Arya wasn't a mushy person, but whenever Gendry confided in her about how small he felt in comparison to her family's rich associates it felt like someone was wringing out her heart like a wash cloth. "Gendry" she whispered and leaned down to kiss him. His hands went to her hips like they always did as their lips molded together.

She broke the kiss and sat up to straddle him again. "Listen to me, Gendry. _I don't want_ some rich guy. If I did, do you really think I would be in your bed right now? I want _you_ , Gendry Waters. You have an amazing heart and an amazing ass and I wouldn't trade either for every gold dragon in the world. Alright?"

Gendry chuckled and let his hand ghost over her breast before trailing down her side. "Alright."

"Good. So, can we have our obligatory post cocktail party-sex now?"

Suddenly Gendry's eyes darkened and he cocked an eyebrow. He swiftly changed their positions so that he was on top, pressing his body flush against hers. "As M'lady commands."

 **Leave a review! Next prompt: Protect**


	2. Chapter 2

**Prompt: Protect**

 **Rating: M**

 **Universe: Modern**

 **Author's note:** ** _Just a slight warning that this does not have an M-rating because of smut but because of attempt at drugging. If you're sensitive, read at your own risk. Enjoy!_**

Protect

He'd been watching her from afar all night. And the past three nights before that. Call him a stalker, whatever. But he couldn't help himself. She was just so entrancing. Those grey eyes, like liquid silver, could hypnotize anyone, him included. Gendry was sure she wasn't above eighteen. The girl had happily shown her ID to the bartender and received her drinks. She probably just turned eighteen, he had acted the same way that year.

Her hair fell freely down to her shoulders and she wore the same black skinny jeans as the past three days but alternated her tops. Being the stalker he felt like he was, of course he has memorized them.

The first night he saw her she had been wearing a tank top the same color as the sky, bringing out her eyes, making them impossibly grey and startling. Day two's top had been his favorite. A black thing with a halter neck and a low back that made it impossible for her to wear a bra. That had been the only time she had had company, a girl in her age with dark hair and dark eyes, he heard her being referred to as Lyanna.

On day three she wore the simplest top yet, a white t-shirt with a growling, grey wolf. It looked as fierce as he expected this girl could be if she only wanted to.

And finally today she wore a loose dark green t-shirt that hung over her shoulder and was tucked inside a brown belt in her jeans. It was obvious that this was the outfit she was most comfortable in. A ring glimmered on her middle finger, a growling silver wolf with red eyes, not unlike the one on her shirt the other day. _This girl must really like wolves…_

She had her hand around the glass containing her fizzing, pale yellow drink, though her head was turned elsewhere whilst she was scrolling through her phone. That was stupid, Gendry reckoned. Anyone could get access to it.

And just as if he had jinxed her by thinking it, a man walked by, quietly so she wouldn't notice as she checked something on her phone. If Gendry had been sitting in just a slightly different angle he was sure he would have missed it.

But now he did see it, he saw the creep that had been lurking in a corner of the pub sneak past her and drop the small, white pill in her drink. He watched it fizz and disappear with the bubbles in her drink until no one could have guessed it had ever been there. And the girl hadn't seen or noticed it in any way.

Gendry couldn't just sit there knowing the girl would get drugged if she took one more sip of her drink. He had to do something.

So he rose to his feet and made his way through the crowded area. "I wouldn't do that if I were you" he said as the girl raised the glass to her lips. She lowered the glass and looked at him with her piercing, grey eyes.

"Excuse me?" She raised her eyebrows at him.

"Someone just put something it your drink."

" _Something?_ " the girl mimicked and gave her drink a side glance.

"Yeah" Gendry said and pulled the chair next to her out to sit down. "A small white pill, and I take for granted you can figure out what that usually means."

The girl raised her eyebrows again, put her drink down and folded her arms across her chest. "And how am I supposed to know it wasn't you?"

Gendry snorted at her, making the girl's eyes blaze with anger. "If I wanted to drug you, do you really think I would warn you about it?"

He had a point and she knew it. She appeared to be the kind of person who had trouble admitting when others were right and they weren't because she suddenly stood up but still had to look up to look him in the eye, but her eyes shot lightning bolts. "I don't need strangers protecting me!"

And she swiftly turned around and stomped off, and being the stubborn idiot that he was, Gendry followed. "No, I'm sure you don't, but what if that guy had tried to rape you?"

Gendry followed her through the door and a couple of yards down the road until she stopped and turned around. "I could have handled him!"'

She was small, thin and very short, but she did have muscles and if her self-defense was anything like her fiery attitude then absolutely, but still… "While you were drugged?"

Again, he had a point. So the girl just gave him an angry look and turned around and continued walking away. Gendry continued to follow her, he just wanted her to say two words, just two little words and then he would leave her alone. "A simple 'thank you' would suffice."

The girl groaned loudly and twirled back around gave him a halfhearted punch on his arm. "Listen here, you stubborn bull! I don't need you to protect me! I don't need _strangers_ to protect me! I'm not my sister!" She gave him another punch for good measure. Then she stood quiet for a while and seemed to be thinking about something. "If he's still there, can you point him out?"

Gendry shrugged and nodded. She nodded back and they walked back to the pub. Well inside Gendry looked over everyone's heads to see if he could catch the guy who did it.

"Well?" the girl demanded and looked impatiently at him.

"There" Gendry said just as he caught a glance of him. "The dark, long haired one chatting up the blond. There." Gendry carefully twisted her head to make her see. "Over by the jukebox."

"Ramsay Bolton" she seethed and shoved a guy slightly who was passing by to make her way through the bar.

"What are you going to do?" Gendry asked, but he doubted she heard him. He watched her make her way and plaster on a sarcastic smile as she tapped ' _Ramsay Bolton'_ on the shoulder.

As soon as the creep turned around, the girl gave him a punch so hard it caused him to stagger backwards. The blond screamed and several men in the bar whistled at her as the bartender shouted something. Gendry could already see the bruise form over his eye and cheek as the girl said something he couldn't really hear but Gendry had no doubt there was a long line of curse words involved.

With a satisfied smile, the girl walked back out of the bar. Gendry, who was in a slight shock, once again followed.

"What are you going to walk me home now like a fucking body guard or something?" the girl demanded.

"What's your name?" Gendry asked, ignoring her snarky question.

The girl looked suspicious but answered his question. "Arya. What's yours?"

"Gendry." He held out his hand and she shook it. "Will I see you around, Arya?"

Her lips twitched upwards. "I suppose."

Gendry nodded with a smile. Finally, he got to talk to her about something else than keeping her from getting drugged. "Okay, good! Goodnight."

She smiled at him. "Goodnight, Gendry."

 **Leave a review with all your thoughts! Next prompt: You'll be back (which will be the special AU for those who have read the summary for this series).**


	3. Chapter 3

**Prompt: You'll be back**

 **Rating: T**

 **Universe: The Hunger Games**

 **Author's note:** ** _So here is the one with the 'special AU'. I wanted it to be equal with the canon and modern entries but since there are seven prompt, one had to be different. So I hope you'll like this one! Enjoy!_**

You'll be back

Arya drew a shaky breath as she and the other children between twelve and eighteen gathered in their gender separate groups. She was fifteen now, which meant that if she made it through today, she would still have three years to go. Every night before the Reaping, Arya prayed to the old gods to spare her and her family. Her parents had survived, otherwise they wouldn't be here, and her father wouldn't be the mayor of district 7. Thankfully, both Robb and Jon had been spared by the gods.

But Sansa remained, at seventeen years of age she still hadn't been picked and despite that she and Arya rarely got along, Arya didn't want a single family member of hers to be reaped. This was the second time for Bran, and even though he didn't want to admit it, he was scared shitless. She thought of Rickon. Sweet, innocent little Rickon who had just turned twelve and entered for the first time. She thought of his curly, auburn hair and his sparkling blue Tully eyes that would be filled with fear if his name was picked and Arya had to close her eyes and focus desperately to remove the image of little Rickon, crying and screaming whilst being dragged away from the stage, calling for their mother.

No.

She could not think like that. She had to put her faith in the gods and hope to death that they would spare the people she cared about the most. Arya opened her eyes and scanned the group of boys for the one face she needed to see right now.

It wasn't Bran or Rickon. Instead she searched for the mop of inky black hair that towered over almost everyone else. Only a few teenagers in the entire district were taller than Gendry.

And just as if he had read her thoughts as she saw him, he turned his head and met her eyes. His eyes always had a calming effect on her, ever since she was seven and he ten when his mother had started working as a maid in their house and he would always stop by to help her after school.

They had connected immediately. They would to homework together, play in the parts of the forest that wasn't used for lumber, she would save pieces of her food for him since she knew he didn't get to eat enough and she would sneak off to the small cottage he and his mother lived in when she woke up from nightmares. Arya still climbed through his window even to this day and crawled into his bed, seeking his warmth and comfort.

It was only now that things started to feel different. He was eighteen years old now and instead of helping his mom clean their house, he worked as a lumber jack out in the forest. Arya was quite sure that was when she first felt the change. The feeling of betrayal that he was leaving her side after school even though it was to get a job and earn money. And the mere months later when she had come to visit one day and noticed the muscles he had developed out in the woods. His now powerful arms and strong back, how much he had grown out there.

Gendry had started to blush around her too. And sometimes he was reluctant to let her share his bed. Whenever she asked why he would stammer and mutter something before quickly changing the subject. But sometimes, Arya could swear she saw his gaze flicker to her breasts.

Neither of them watched the video from the capitol, it was the same bullshit every year. Instead Arya refused to stop looking at him, seeking the same comfort she sought when she had nightmares. Gendry gave her a calming look and nodded slightly. Arya knew what he was trying to say.

 _It'll be over soon._

Arya was only yanked back to reality when the man onstage said something about 'female tribute'. The man stuck his hand down the horrible glass bowl of death and fished for a paper slip for a couple seconds before pulling one out with deft fingers.

She felt her heart beat in her chest, panic seizing her even though the name had not been read yet. If it was her or Sansa, what the hell was she supposed to do? Would she be able to volunteer for her sister or anyone? Was she selfless enough to do that? And would Sansa volunteer for her? Probably not…

"Jeyne Heddle!"

Arya closed her eyes and let out a selfish breath of relief. She didn't know the small eighteen-year-old girl that slowly walked onstage, her face etched in a mixture of shock and panic.

Gendry gave her a grateful and relieved nod and she could see Rickon holding on to Bran's hand in a vice grip. _Please, please, please!_

"Gendry Waters!"

What?

No!

Not Gendry!

Surely this was a nightmare! Her heart felt like something was trying to pull it out through her throat and crush it simultaneously. Arya had to struggle for a breath and she didn't even realize she had begun to move towards her best friend who walked towards the stage with a stoic look on his face until Lyanna Mormont gripped her wrist and forced her to stay still.

Gendry didn't show any sign of fear unlike Jeyne Heddle. He stood there in his strong demeanor looking stoically out over the audience. They were both ushered into a building and Arya was the first to move.

She crisscrossed through the mass of people, only having eyes and mind for her best friend now that she knew her family was safe. Gendry couldn't leave her, he couldn't die. She didn't know who she was without him.

His mom was just leaving the room had had been ushered into when Arya got there. She gave Ms Waters a quick hug before darting inside the room without waiting for permission from anyone. What the hell were they going to do? Shoot her?

"Gendry" Arya breathed and threw herself in his strong arms. He hugged her tightly back and rested his face in the crook of her neck like he always did when he was upset. She breathed in his scent and tried to not think about that this might be the last time she smelled it. Sweat, forest and _Gendry_.

"Listen to me, Arya" Gendry said and swallowed to compose himself. "Promise me that you'll take care of my mom." Arya nodded and he put his hands on her shoulders. But she wouldn't have to do that because he would make it back, he would. "And you have to take care of yourself too, alright?!"

She felt tears pool in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. Not today, she thought. She wouldn't cry until she was sure he was gone. His hand entwined with hers and Arya never wanted to let go.

"Thank your dad for all he's done for me and mom!"

But Arya shook her head violently. "Tell him yourself when you come back!"

Gendry huffed sadly and looked at her like she was a naïve little girl begging for an extra treat after dinner. "Arya, I'll probably not be back."

Arya wasn't sure what made her do it. Maybe it was the thought of never seeing him again, or that lurch she felt in her stomach when he took her hand or the need to have him close. Yet she reached up and pressed her lips against him, kissing him with urgency. Gendry's hands held her face and she tried to get as close to him as possible. They broke apart and Gendry kissed every inch of her face that he could get his lips on.

"You'll be back" Arya whispered.

 **Let me know what you think and I'll see you tomorrow! Next prompt: Whisper! XXX**


	4. Chapter 4

**Prompt: Whisper**

 **Rating: M**

 **Universe: Canon**

 **Author's note:** ** _So this is the first of the three canon entries that I have planned for this year's AryaxGendry Week. And Alaster Boneman, here's canon for you! ;-)_**

Whisper

Gendry listened to her reciting her list of names. She did it every night. How many nights they had been caged in this pen that was previously used for pigs, he didn't know. A week maybe? A fortnight? The days were lost on him just as the names Arya whispered every night.

He leaned against the pole and watched the towers of Harrenhal above him. The moon cast shadows over and across them and the dark bricks spoke of the terror they had been forced to endure since the Lannister soldiers took him, Arya and Hot Pie capture.

They had watched woman after woman, man after man and child after child being strapped to the chair they used to interrogate the prisoners, asked questions he didn't understand and then they had watched the rat being thrown into a bucket which had been strapped to the chest of the unfortunate souls and they had watched as they held torches under the bucket and heard the screeching of the rat along with the screams of the prisoners. They listened and watched until the screams faltered and they knew the people were dead.

In the days he was strong, he felt like he needed to be for both Arya and Hot Pie even though he doubted Arya needed anyone to be strong for her. But in the nights he had let himself cry a few of tears. He was sure Arya had heard him a couple of times but Gendry couldn't bring himself to care. Anyone in their situation had the right to tears. But Arya hadn't shed a single one, and that was what worried him.

Hot Pie wasn't afraid to show his emotions, Arya however… Gendry was sure he hadn't seen her face waver once ever since they first day he saw her, when he still believed she was Arry the orphan boy. He didn't know the extent of what she had been through. Only that her father had been publically executed for treason, a conviction she told him was false, and that Yoren was supposed to bring her to Winterfell. That was out of the question now.

But a father being killed was more than enough for anyone to mourn, yet as far as he knew, Arya didn't mourn him visibly. But she's bound to let it out at some point, Gendry thought bitterly.

And just then, he heard it. A small, quiet sniffle. So quiet he was sure it came from someone else, and he would have believed himself if he hadn't seen Arya quickly wipe her nose with the cleanest part of her hand.

"Arry?" he whispered tentatively, still using her alias. He wasn't quite sure what to do. He had no experience. Never before had he comforted girls when they cried. Arya was his first female friend, Gendry had barely even talked to girls back in King's Landing. Not many girls were willing to come to a forge. "Are you okay?"

Arya quickly buried her head in her arms and pretended to sleep. However Gendry's body seemed to act on its own as his hand reached out and touch her shoulder. She tried to brush it off. "Don't!" she hissed.

But his hand remained on her shoulder, he wouldn't let her pass up a chance to let go of some of her sorrows. "It's alright to be sad…"

With a forceful movement, she turned to face him. There were tears in her eyes and her cheeks were slightly flushed. Her voice was cracked when she spoke. "No it's not!"she hissed at him. "I have to be strong! For dad, for Syrio, for Jon, for mom and Robb and-" the more names she mentioned, the more tears sprung to her eyes and the more her shoulders shook even though it was obvious she was trying to hold it back.

He hushed her, both to sooth her and to make her lower her voice so that the guards wouldn't know they were awake. Then Gendry grabbed her as firmly as the shackles around his wrists would allow him and positioned her closer to him. "You don't have to be strong all the time. It's okay to be unhappy every now and again…"

That sentence seemed to break her dam since the tears now started falling freely down her cheeks and she hid her face in her knees. "I just want to go home" Arya half whispered, half sobbed. "I don't want to be here, Gendry! I miss my home and my family, even stupid Sansa!"

Gendry leaned closer to her. "You'll be home soon…" They both knew he couldn't promise that but it seemed like the right thing to say.

"When?" she questioned, looking up from her knees. Her face was puffy and red.

"I don't know" Gendry admitted, deflated. "But I have no doubt. You _will_ be home sooner or later."

Arya sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder carefully, as if testing if it was alright or not. And when Gendry didn't push her away but instead leaned his head on top of hers, he felt her relax and settle herself against him.

It felt right to have her this way. And not just to have her trust, that he was trusted and cared for him enough to show him when she felt weak. It also felt good to feel her body against his, for comfort, for warmth. He wanted to chastise himself for feeling like that, however for some reason he couldn't. Not at this moment when it felt like they were experiencing the closest thing to a glimpse of happiness.

He would tomorrow though. That Gendry was sure of. But for the time being he would just enjoy their whispers and proximity. The proximity of a noble lady and a bastard.

"When I get home to Winterfell" Arya said quietly. "Will you be with me?"

Gendry felt a small smile creep up his lips. "If Milady wishes it…"

He could hear the soldiers from a distance and the sun slowly started to show its first beams. Their little break from the horror they were going through was over. Gendry just hoped that the _three_ of them would soon make it out of here, _alive_ and have some sort of peace before the next hell began.

 **Let me know your thoughts! X**


	5. Chapter 5

**Prompt: Laughter**

 **Rating: M**

 **Universe: Canon**

 **Author's note:** ** _This is definitely one of my favorite prompts of this year's AryaXGendry Week so I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it!_**

Laughter

Hearing Arya Stark laugh was a rare and beautiful thing. In their youth, he'd only been lucky enough to hear it a couple of times. Not so surprising though, seeing as they both grew up during war times.

The first time he heard it, it hadn't really been a proper laugh but more like a satisfied chuckle. It was shortly after he had helped during her first fight with Lommy and Hot Pie. Hot Pie had been pretending to know a lot more about knights and armor than he actually did and then later when Gendry had told him how armor actually worked, that 'any idiot can buy armor' Hot Pie had blushed furiously and murmured something.

That was when he heard it. A small smile had crept up on Arya's lips and she chuckled to herself, obviously satisfied with having helped prove Hot Pie wrong.

It would take a long time before he got to hear it again. He didn't see her utter a single smile even whilst they were trapped as prisoners at Harrenhal. He tried to almost force a smile out of her a couple of times by telling a lame joke and smiling sheepishly at her but she only gave him a skeptical look every time. After three attempts, he gave up.

A few weeks later, when the brotherhood found them and Arya recognized Harwin among them, he thought he saw a glimpse of a smile in the corner of her lips. This was also where he would hear her laugh properly for the first time.

He woke up after her one morning. The quilt she had been sleeping on was empty and he was alone in the small tent they shared with two other members of the brotherhood. She must have gone to eat something.

The light blinded him as he stepped out in the slightly chilly morning air. He watched the men walk around preparing breakfast. Two of them were in the midst of cooking two rabbits whilst the other ate what looked like a strict rationing of bread and apples each.

Arya sat in a corner, chewing on her bread and Gendry was just about to join her when he saw she wasn't alone. She was talking to a boy around her age. They had met him the day before but Gendry couldn't remember his name at first. He watched the boy's blond hair and dark blue eyes and concentrated to remember his name. Edric… Edric something.

Edric Dayne! Right! That was it!

And Edric Dayne was leaning in a way that Gendry didn't like as he said something to Arya that made her throw her head back and laugh like he had never seen her do before.

Gendry couldn't deny that it was a beautiful laugh and an equally beautiful sound. Her face was all scrunched up in happiness and her laugh sounded like bells playing in the wind. It warmed him to hear it.

But what chilled him to the bone was the fact that it wasn't him! He hadn't been the one to make Arya Stark laugh. Instead it had been the highborn git Edric _fucking_ Dayne and Gendry realized that he should be the one to make Arya laugh like that.

Dayne didn't know Arya like he did, he hadn't traveled with Arya as long as he had. He didn't _care_ for Arya the way Gendry did! Stupid, fucking prick!

After that, Gendry tried to prove that he too could make Arya laugh like that. Mostly to himself, but also to Edric Dayne even though he never said so out loud. He did manage, though mostly only when he didn't intend to. Like that time when Arya had surprised him by saying something rather improper about her newly formed _womanly problems_ and Gendry had dropped his hammer on his foot in shock. His toes had been blue for days, but at least Arya had laughed about it.

It was soon after that that he lost her to the hound and he wouldn't hear her wonderful laugh for years. Lady Stoneheart was a small reminder that Arya had been real but she was so cold and distant, not like the Arya he knew. Yes, Arya was very wrapped up in her vengeance but she had never been cold towards him.

Every other laugh felt either bleak or like screeching in his ears. He heard both Jeyne and Willow laugh but it wasn't the same. They didn't have the same chime that Arya's had. Jeyne's laugh was too quiet and Willow's was too cocky, it didn't seem as happy as Arya's. And the whores that the other members of the Brotherhood often bought for the night laughed at anything they said, it was forced and way too loud. Their laughs weren't natural. No laugh could seem to replace _hers._

Five years passed before he even saw her again. He had left the brotherhood and was now working as a smith for her older sister, the new Lady of Winterfell when she magically appeared at the gates of her childhood home.

At first she was angry with him for wanting to join the Brotherhood despite that he had explained to her so many times that her late brother Robb would never have let him be a part of her life when she returned to her family.

But he had been waiting for her for years, praying that she would one day come back into his life and now she had. Arya ignored him for a couple of days before showing up at the forge like a pup with its tail between its legs and asked if he ever planned on leaving her again.

When he firmly told her that he would _never_ leave her side again, she ran up to him and hugged him harder than he had ever done before and whispered quietly that she had missed him. He smiled and returned the compliment.

Things returned to normal between them after that, yet something was different. And Gendry knew what it was. He was in love with her. She kissed him one night after having watched him work all evening. They kept stealing kisses from one another for two moons.

When they coupled for the first time, in the back room of the forge, she gave him a nervous giggle right before he entered her. And god how he had missed her laugh! After they were done, Arya told him she loved him and Gendry had never felt happier. They married the next day in the god's wood.

Sansa found out soon enough but instead of raging that her sister had married a blacksmith, the red head smiled and gave them permission to build a cottage behind the forge so that they wouldn't live so cramped when their children came along.

And a year later, he held their daughter, a baby girl of three moons in his arms with Arya leaning her head on his shoulder. Lyanna Waters had his inky black hair and Arya's stormy grey eyes.

That night, he heard his daughter laugh for the first time and his eyes filled with tears of happiness.

Her laugh was just like Arya's.

 **I hope you liked it! Leave a review! And for those who are reading A Diamond In The Rough, don't worry, I'm working on the next chapter! It'll be out soon! X**


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